


extra & sunshine

by nushiewrites



Category: Sanders Sides
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Entomophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 04:39:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11593125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nushiewrites/pseuds/nushiewrites
Summary: Bugs freak Virgil out. A lot. Thankfully, he has Roman there to help.





	extra & sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> you can read it on tumblr if you prefer that: https://the-sanders-sides.tumblr.com/post/163350241306/extra-sunshine
> 
> Username change from my_emo_shipper_soul to nushiewrites

Virgil made sense sometimes, like when making sure Thomas avoided danger and set his alarm. However, this moment, was not one those—because for some reason Virgil had an irrational fear of bugs. One being near Virgil would make him freeze in place as he tried to track its motions to make sure it would leave the vicinity. However, a bug touching Virgil, for even just a second, would set him into a spiral of panic to hell. And it just so happened that one decided to land on his hand.

+

Virgil was sitting on the sofa in Thomas’s living room, mindlessly scrolling through Tumblr on his phone, when Roman decided to walk in and play A Bug’s Life on the television. Virgil, trying to keep calm, said, “Hey, Princey, Roman, Disney-cyclopedia, light of my life, can you PLEASE turn on any other movie?”  
Roman replied, “Oh come _on_ Virgil, don’t be such a debby downer all the time. I don’t think we’ve watched this one together yet.” And with that, Roman pressed play. Virgil thought he could ignore it and just keep looking at his phone, but Roman kept nudging him to watch Roman’s favorite parts, of which there were umpteen. It was times like this that made Virgil wish he had made all of his fears public, no matter how much he thought the others would laugh at the fears’ silliness.

Tentatively, Virgil looked up at the screen thinking he could handle seeing marching animated ants, while Roman squealed at how cute it all was. However, as soon as Virgil saw the ants, he whimpered and covered his eyes with his hands. Roman immediately knew what was happening to Virgil and mentally berated himself for not listening to him when he asked to watch a different movie.  
“Hey it’s okay, I got you I’m switching the movie to Big Hero 6 right now,” Roman gently spoke as he scooched closer to Virgil and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
 Virgil pulled away and mumbled, “I don’t need your pity, I’m fine…”  
Roman raised an eyebrow and questioned, “Do you want me to switch back to A Bug’s Life then?”  
“NO!” Virgil exclaimed and looked apologetically to Roman, “I’m sorry, bugs just make me fell a bit antsy. It’s nothing,” He smirked before adding, “Pun intended.”  
Roman rolled his eyes. It always was hard for Virgil to talk about his problems without cracking a joke to make it seem lighter than it really was. But as long as there was no problem, they sat together and watched Big Hero 6. That is until a fly stopped to rest on Virgil’s hand.

Roman didn’t think anyone could scream that loud. Virgil’s eyes widened with fear and his breathing became erratic through his yells of, “Get it off!! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, get it off! Get it off!”  
Roman gently brushed the fly off of Virgil’s hand and moved Virgil’s head so the two could face each other. “Sunshine, it’s okay. It’s gone. C’mon, can you breathe with me?” Virgil shook his head as tears threatened to spill and he leaned forward to hug Roman. Roman rubbed soothing circles in his back, and whispered, “Shh… It’s okay, everything’s okay, you’re safe, the bug is gone… Shh…” Roman kissed Virgil’s forehead, and kept repeating the comforting words until Virgil calmed down. Virgil moved away from the embrace and averted Roman’s gaze at his teary eyes. Filled with embarrassment, Virgil sank out of the living room and into his own room.

Virgil got a cup of water, and curled up on the sofa taking small sips. He screwed his eyes shut to shield himself away from the cobwebs and spider curtains. He could never face Roman again after what just happened. He was such an embarrassment, so pathetic, he couldn’t even handle a little bug touching him, he was weak and feeble and piteous… And his mind was now spiraling out of control with too many thoughts that were accompanied with uneven breathing for the second time that day. However, it was caused by different fear this time: social anxiety.

The tears welling in Virgil’s eyes from before now cracked through his closed eyelids, and his hands were trembling so much that the cup fell out of his hands and the water was all over himself. He didn’t register it, though; all that was going through his mind was _Can’t Breathe.  Screwed up. Thinking too fast. Can’t Breathe. I’m the worst. Can’t breathe. Why does Roman even bother with me? Thinking too fast. Can’t Breathe. CAN’T BREATHE. **CAN’T BREATHE.**_    
“You can do it, Virgil. Breathe in… 1, 2, 3, 4.”  
Virgil whimpered and started shaking his head, he couldn’t stop his hyperventilating and now he was disappointing those whispers. _I can’t do anything right…_  
“You’re doing so good. Hold it… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.”  
He tried to close his mouth to hold his breath, but his lips were trembling and he kept the unsteady breathing through his nose.  
“C’mon, almost there. Breathe out… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.”  
Virgil opened his mouth again, and surprisingly he was able to shakily let a breath out.  
“See? You’re doing it. It’s okay. I got you. Everything’s fine. Now let’s do it again. Breathe in…”’

It took a few more rounds of the breathing exercise for Virgil to be able to breathe normally and register what had happened. He finally opened his eyes and was greeted with more light than he expected. After blinking a couple times to adjust his sight, Virgil found himself being held in Roman’s lap.  
Virgil croaked, “Princey?”  
“I’m here Virgil. I’ll always be here. You’re not embarrassing, and you’re not pathetic. You are so very brave,” Roman smiled, “As brave as a real knight, Sunshine.”  
“I said all that out loud?”  
“I came to your room after you sunk out, for I thought you’d be distraught. When I got there your eyes were closed so tightly it looked painful and you were mumbling incredibly fast. So I carried you and teleported us to the commons to help calm you down… Was that okay?”  
Virgil sighed and nodded. “Sorry for freaking out so much today, it was stupid.”  
“It can’t have been stupid if it caused you to freak out that much. Your feelings and your fears are valid, Virgil.”  
Virgil softly smiled and laid his head on Roman’s shoulder. “Thanks, your extra-ness.” Roman chuckled. There was lighter air in both of their voices now even though Virgil seemed as though he was going to fall asleep any moment now from the exhaustion of the two anxiety attacks.  
“Will you ever stop with the nicknames, Sunshine?”  
“I’m still bitter that yours used to be so much better when we bickered.” Virgil yawned and slowly drifted off as he snuggled closer to Roman.  
Roman ran his fingers through Virgil’s hair and airily whispered, “Good… because I won’t stop either, my love.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!  
> my fanders tumblr: @the-sanders-sides


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